Mark Jefferson
Note: This page contains spoilers for the currently released episodes of Life is Strange. "Seriously though, I could frame any one of you in a dark corner, and capture you in a moment of desperation." — Mark Jefferson in "Episode 1: Chrysalis" Mark Jefferson is a photography teacher at Blackwell Academy and the main antagonist of Life Is Strange. He is also a famous photographer, who gained popularity during the 90's. He seems to be generally admired by his students, including Max. Personality Jefferson seems to be an active and passionate photographer. He cares about the work of his students, making sure they enter the "Everyday Heroes" Contest in order to have a chance at progressing their artistic careers. However, his dismissive treatment of Kate's problems as she asks for help in "Out of Time", portrays him as somewhat callous and insensitive. Jefferson seems to be cautious around the flirtatious nature of his student Victoria. Despite her efforts to flirt with him, he declines; especially as she becomes more explicit in "Chaos Theory". This could be because of the value he places on innocence. In reality, Jefferson is a cold individual who cares very little for others, with an obscure obsession to capture the frame of "innocence" in others. He is prepared to kill anyone who he deems a liability to him or his plans and will stop at nothing to achieve his personal objectives. He is further willing to manipulate others to his advantage while making sure that they remain silent. Jefferson seems to have situations planned out well in advance, this combined with his high intelligence and extreme cunning has allowed him to continue what he is doing without being caught. It appears that Mr. Jefferson has a fondness for jazz and blues which is shown from his selection of music in the dark room. Biography The following is what Max wrote about Mark in her journal: Not only is Mark Jefferson one of the best photographers in the world, he's also my teacher. And one of the reasons I wanted to come to Blackwell. How often do you get to be mentored by one of your inspirations? I've always loved his deco and goth style and he's so versatile with all of his incredible print and advertising work. Still, Jefferson can be a bit condescending. He's pretty hip for his age, but kinda aloof and sometimes pretentious. He has this smug smile when he thinks he's right... But I do think he's preparing us for how tough it is to be a full time "artist". He acts like he understands my own work and obsession with analog images. He really wants me to enter a photo in this "Everyday Hero" contest but I've done a good job of avoiding that. The winner gets to fly to San Francisco to represent Blackwell Academy and get national exposure. I'd like to think my work could be good enough to win and I'm honored Jefferson even bugs me about the contest. Background Mark is a famous and published photographer who has roots in Oregon. He specializes in black and white photography. He even had his own book published on taking the perfect photograph shot called "...". Much of his work is displayed around the Blackwell campus, particularly at the front of the building in large-scale, outdoor frames. Most of his images seem to be of women in sexualised positions. Mark seems to share Max's love of analogue images, and is passionate about the innocence of subjects in photography. Episode One - "Chrysalis" Max initially snaps out of her vision in the middle of Jefferson's photography class. Jefferson wants his students to each submit a photo for the "Everyday Heroes" contest. Max tries to avoid it, but he tells her she needs the courage to share her work. Max can rewind several times in order to impress Jefferson; specifically to steal Victoria's answer about the Daguerreian Process, and to quote John Lennon."Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans" After some exploration in the classroom, we can see that he took a picture of his students in the first week of the semester as well as his photos placed on the front cover of fashion magazines, his highly expensive photography equipment and various art/photography books. Upon speaking with Stella, Max learns of a rumor that Mark had sex with Rachel Amber before she went missing. As it starts to snow at the end of the episode, Mr. Jefferson is shown working on his laptop inside his empty classroom. He notices the snow from the classroom windows and slowly looks up to witness the event. Episode Two - "Out of Time" He is seen talking to Kate about her problems, dismissing her worries and quoting Hamlet, "perhaps she doth protest too much". She asks for help, but becomes frustrated and leaves the school. His insensitivity contributes to her suicide attempt. When Max makes a comparison between Kate and Rachel Amber, Mr. Jefferson remarks that "Rachel was nothing like Kate" and adds that he misses her. As Max tries to find out more about the conversation, Jefferson moves away to take a phone call. He then commences class with another lecture about black and white photography, but is interrupted by the commotion surrounding Kate at the Prescott Dormitory. In Principal Wells' office after the incident with Kate, Max can choose to blame Jefferson for the incident. Wells makes it clear that he should have been more attuned to the needs of his students. Blame Jefferson= If Max blames Jefferson for not being attuned to his student's needs, and being dismissive of her, Wells suspends Jefferson from attending the "Everyday Heroes" Contest, saying that he is no longer a good representative for the school after not showing enough consideration towards his students; particularly due to knowing Kate well after she helped him after class occasionally. |-|Blame either Nathan or David= Jefferson takes no blame and is sent on his way from the office. At the end of the episode, Wells and Jefferson can be seen arguing as Jefferson leaves the Parking Lot in his car. Episode Three - "Chaos Theory" |-|If Max Blames Jefferson= If Mr. Jefferson is suspended for his involvement in Kate's successful or attempted suicide, a social media page supporting Jefferson is set up by his students. Victoria comments on the page, saying, "The major reason I came to Blackwell was Mark Jefferson". Near the beginning of the episode, Max and Chloe overhear Jefferson talking with Victoria. He was helping her review her portfolio after school hours. She flirts with him and attempts to blackmail him into picking her photo for the "Everyday Heroes" Contest. He refuses her explicit attempts at flirting, and disciplines her, saying she should return to her dormitory. It seems as though he has no interest in pursuing anything with her, and takes a professional approach. Episode Four - "Dark Room" As Max and Chloe enter the Blackwell campus to search Nathan's Room for proof of his involvement in the disappearance of Rachel and the drugging of Kate, they encounter Jefferson. He engages Max and Chloe in conversation, and asks why someone as cool as Chloe doesn't go to Blackwell. The girls seem happy with the quick chat, as Chloe comments that he is "hot for a teacher", and teases Max about her having Jefferson all to herself now that Chloe isn't at Blackwell. After Max talks to Victoria in the VIP section of the End of the World Party, Jefferson appears and has another chat with her and Chloe. He seems happy that she has turned up to the party, and does not act suspiciously if Max asks about Nathan. He excuses himself, getting on stage to make a speech about the winner of the "Everyday Heroes" Contest, which Victoria has won. After receiving a text from Nathan, Max and Chloe rush to the junkyard to protect Rachel's body from being tampered with. As the girls uncover the body again, Max warns Chloe to be quiet, and is approached from behind. Jefferson drugs Max by injecting her with a needle, and then shoots Chloe in the forehead. Max is unable to use her rewind power due to the drugs, and is unable to save Chloe. It is now clear that he had a hand in her disappearance and death, and that he is most likely working with Nathan, the Prescott family, and possibly even Principal Wells.Wells is a known drinker of whiskey; a bottle of the alcohol can be found in his office, as well as in the Prescott Bunker/Dark Room. This is a possible link between the Principal and the room. Although, this is unconfirmed. Episode Five - "Polarized" In the beginning of the episode, Max will wake up inside the Dark Room, bound and strapped onto a chair, while Mr. Jefferson is nowhere to be seen or heard. Upon travelling back to the past from a photograph which Jefferson took of her on a nearby tray, Max wakes up to find herself being exposed at from different angles while Jefferson takes shots at her with a camera. He praises Max for her innocence and beauty but suddenly becomes very frustrated and angry as Max whimpers and cries, ruining his shots in the process. Jefferson calls Max special and begins to set her aside from Rachel Amber. He mentions Nathan and his inability to create specific styles and themes, but notes that he had an eye for shadows and an eye for a "whole lot more as his elitist family will find out along with Arcadia Bay". Jefferson berates Max for being nosy and explains that the Dark Room was under 24-hour surveillance, which is how he discovered Max and Chloe's interference before texting them from Nathan's phone. He then tells Max that she should have focused on her school work and that he's "sorry" that he killed Chloe in what he calls self-defense, mentioning that she had a troubled history and that nobody will care about her death--but people will care about Max when she dies, bringing up Max's "gift" again. He gets close to take more photos but becomes frustrated as Max keeps moving and suggests another dose to calm her down. In her struggle, Max kicks away the trolley with the drugs and her folder, causing it to spill over her photos. Jefferson becomes annoyed and yells at Max for never listening and that had she listened in class, she may have seen all of this coming. He tells her that he's had his eye on her and noticed that she had become more fearless that week than ever before. As Max begins to struggle, Jefferson tells Max to remember his number one rule "always take the shot", before sedating her with more drugs. Max looses consciousness and returns to the altered present. Max, returning to the altered present, notices another photo on the nearby tray as she recalls kicking the trolley, making the drugs spill on her folder which forced Jefferson to take the photos out. She focuses on the photo and goes back in time yet again, this time she is strapped onto a chair while Mr. Jefferson takes photos from a distance. He remarks that Victoria would kill to be in Max's position. However, she did not understand the connection between himself and Max. He praises Max as his winner, choosing her portrait and not anyone else. Max asks Mr. Jefferson why he's doing all of this. Jefferson, rather glad that she asked that question, explained that he's obsessed with the idea of innocence and the transaction between colour. He further explains that most models become too cynical and arrogant which results in the loss of their artistic potential. Some students on the other hand, have that artistic potential and those few are chosen by Jefferson as his subjects. Alternate Timeline Although we do not directly meet him in the alternate timeline, his photography are still on display around the Blackwell campus. This calls into question whether alternate Max came back to Arcadia Bay for his teaching or not. However, Rachel Amber is still missing, meaning that Jefferson's involvement with her kidnapping and murder could still be possible in the alternate timeline. Spirit Animal and Symbolism Colour Symbolism Jefferson is heavily associated with the colours black and white, due to both his clothing, and photography style. These colours have been heavily associated with death in the game, and back up theories about Jefferson being involved with the disappearance of Rachel Amber. As of Episode Four, these theories have been confirmed. Spirit Animal It is highly possible that Jefferson's spirit animal is the owl. Its appearance twice in episode four could mean his association with the areas in which it is featured; the barn, which he has obviously been associated with due to the Dark Room beneath it, and the Junk yard right before Jefferson appears to intercept the girls. This owl could have been foreshadowing; ideal in this particular situation considering the symbolism of the owl totem. The owl is highly representative of wisdom and change, as well as the ability to look beyond the ordinary and take inspiration from the things most people cannot see.http://www.spiritanimal.info/owl-spirit-animal/ This makes complete sense considering Jefferson's profession as a photographer; finding inspiration in the tiny details of the world creates good photos. His personal inspiration taken from the beauty of innocence, vulnerability and desperation could be symbolized with this totem. Most importantly, the most traditional symbol associated with the owl is the approach of death, creating change. Obviously this is highly applicable for Jefferson after his encounter with the girls, and his association with Rachel's death. Discussed Theories Note: These are theories developed prior to the release of Episode 5: Polarized. Darkroom Events There were theories about Jefferson being responsible in some way for the disappearance of Rachel Amber, and possibly the drugging of Kate Marsh. His black and white photography focuses on sexualised young ladies at the height of their innocence; highly suspicious. His work focuses on innocence, but is similar to the tortured black and white images in Nathan's room, as well as in the Prescott Bunker. His words from episode one, "Seriously though, I could frame any one of you in a dark corner, and capture you in a moment of desperation.", also seem to be a clear foreshadowing of him primarily being involved in the dark room events. His profession's association with "Dark Rooms", used to develop photographs, fed the theory that Nathan's drawing of "Rachel in the Dark Room" from "Chaos Theory", is related to him in some way. This combined with the rumor about Jefferson and Rachel engaging in sexual relations, all led to Jefferson being involved in the suspicious incidents at Blackwell. It is speculated that unrequited feelings of love could be involved. It is now clear that Kate Marsh was drugged, and dragged to the underground photography studio bunker in order for her photograph to be taken in compromising and vulnerable positions. It is highly implied that Jefferson is in part responsible for this; as well as being responsible for the photographing of many other victims, as well as the photographing and death of Rachel Amber. This is supported by his behavior towards Kate when she is crying to him and asking him for help and he tells her to knock of the "martyr act and blames her for what has happened". He is rumored to have slept with Rachel, and he claims "Kate was nothing like Rachel" in a vaguely sinister manner while talking to Max. There is also a strong possibility that he is associated with Nathan Prescott, due to Nathan's link to drugs and his known involvement in the Vortex Club Parties. The bunker was clearly paid for by Sean Prescott, linking the family to the victims, as well as to Jefferson. As of Episode Four, Jefferson is most likely responsible for kidnapping Rachel and Kate, along with various other students he keeps logged in files. It is not fully confirmed whether or not he and Nathan Prescott are working as a team, although the fact that these crimes took place on in a Bunker owned by the Prescott family, makes this a strong likelihood. While Mr. Jefferson has been revealed as the orchestrator of dark room events, many fans still speculate over his true motives. Many simply believe that he's using young women to his advantage in his photography in a deal with the Prescotts. Others believe that he has a much more complex and sophisticated role in the series and that not all is as it appears to be. Fans continue to point out pieces of information which don't seem to all add up to what Mr. Jefferson is doing in the dark room, for example: * Why he kept and released Kate Marsh alive. * Why he refuses advances made on him by students (particularly Victoria). * Why he has a very large amount of food and drink stored in the dark room. Theories range from him knowing about the end of the world and aiming to prevent it, to being a psychopathic serial killer. Nathan's Father A common flawed speculation is that Mr. Jefferson is actually Sean Prescott, Nathan's father. There are two major factors which prove against this theory. The first is the photograph of a young Nathan as a child with his father Sean which can be found in Nathan's dorm room. The second is that during the End of World party Luke mentions that he met Nathan's father once and described him as a "Mean bastard" - if it was actually Jefferson then Luke would have instantly known. Association With Time Travel and The Rewind Ability Another popular theory is the belief that Mr. Jefferson, like Max, has time control powers and/or knew about Max's own abilities; hence why he chose to sedate her in order to prevent her from using her powers to rewind time. This also could be an explanation as to how he managed to get to the junkyard extremely quickly at the end of episode 4, as Chloe and Max left the party Mr. Jefferson was still speaking on stage although this has been dismissed merely as Mr. Jefferson driving a faster vehicle. Besides from Chloe, Mr. Jefferson is the only other character who is hinted to know about Max's powers throughout the game. Jefferson's very first line from episode 1 makes a distinctive link between time and photography mentioning Alfred Hitchcock's "little pieces of time". His constant mentioning of Max's "gift" in episode 1 could imply that he somehow knows about her abilities, but it could also just be a foreshadowing to Max having such special abilities. Furthermore, is speculated that he could aim especially for girls with those rewinding powers and as Rachel could have also had those he killed her and now is trying to kill Max. Associated Deaths * Kate Marsh - (Caused, Determinant) Jefferson is in part to blame for Kate Marsh's suicide attempt, due to not taking her worried confession of her unhappiness seriously. It could also be possible that he drugged, or assisted in drugging Kate at the Vortex Club Party she was at. * Rachel Amber - (Likely Caused) Jefferson was most likely involved with Nathan in dosing, coercing and burying Rachel in the junkyard. * Chloe Price - (Caused, Direct)' '''Jefferson shot Chloe in the head after sedating Max with a needle, causing her to be unable to use her rewind. * Nathan Prescott - ('Caused, Direct') Mark informed Max in chapter five that Nathan was a flight risk and he could not "keep him as a protege" for much longer after Rachel's overdose. As quoted by Jefferson himself, he bluntly put forth that Nathan was "dead and buried." * Victoria Chase - ('Caused, Direct')' 'After Max's return from the timeline in which Mr. Jefferson is arrested before her capture and she is sent on the "Everyday Heroes" trip, Mr. Jefferson informs Max that he "had to let Victoria Chase go", keeping it vague at first until Max's hope of her being alive were sparked to which he corrected in saying, "Don't be stupid, okay? She is exactly where she deserves to be." Trivia *In Episode 2 - "Out of Time", Jefferson says, in reference to Kate, "maybe she doth protest too much," a reference to "the lady who doth protest too much, methinks" from the play "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare. *During Episode 3, Max views a social media page supporting Mr. Jefferson. The page states that his birthday is April 11, 1967 and that he attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago. *During "Dark Room", Dontnod are cleverly throwing players off the trail, as they receive a positive image of Jefferson from the playful and helpful conversations he has with Max and Chloe throughout the episode. *Jefferson's license plate is TPFTHLK, a reference to ''Top of the Lake. The show is about a detective investigating the case of a missing girl. *During the "investigation" scene of "Dark Room", David's clues include a photo and location data of Jefferson's car. Cross-referencing the time of Kate's abduction with both Jefferson's and Nathan's vehicles shows that they were both at the same location, at the same time. *In "Dark Room", a note addressed to Nathan can be found attached to the computer screen in the bunker, and is assumed by Max to be from Nathan's father, but is very likely from Jefferson. The note implies that Jefferson's relation to Nathan is that of a guide and mentor. References Category:Episode One: Chrysalis Characters Category:Episode Two: Out of Time Characters Category:Episode Three: Chaos Theory Characters Category:Episode Four: Dark Room Characters Category:Episode Five: Polarized Characters Category:Male Characters Category:Blackwell Academy Staff Category:Dark Room Conspiracy Category:Major Characters Category:Determinant